Tunneling-machine.



PATENTED AUG. 27, 190?. R. B. SIGAPOOS. TUNNELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OOTII'T. 1906.

QSHEETS- SHEET l WITNESSES PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907 R. B. SIGAFOOS.

TUNNELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.17,19Q6.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

mum/E5355 A TTOHNEYS UNITED ngr NT omueE.

/ nUssEL BIGALOW SIGAFOOS, or n LEnn-MoNmNA, Assrenon To THE AMERIeAN ROTARY TUNNEL MACHINE AND DEVELOPMENT eonrnnr, or DENVER, COLORADO, A oonronin ,TION OF COLORADO.

Nose 304.

To all whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, RUSSEL BIGALOW SIGAFOOS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Helena, in the .county of Lewis and Clark, and State of Montana, have invented a new and Improved Tunneling- Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I i

This invention is an improved machine for driving tunnels, sinking shafts and the like, having among other objects the provision of a machinefor this purpose which will make a uniforn'r clean bore through rock and other materials with comparative ease and facility, and accomplish this without undue strain on the machine-frame even althrough the material at one side of the bore be harder than that at the other.

The machine is further constructed to eliminate dust and clean the cutters of the borings, at they are formed, preferably by streams of water whichcarry and discharge the muck at the rear of the machine without the need of further mechanism.

Reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings form ing a part'of this specification, in which similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in allthe figures. I

' Figure 1. is a plan view of the preferred forntofmy invention; Fig.2 isa front end'clevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a rear, endelevation of the machine; Fig. 4 is a central, longitudinal, sectional view of the same 011 an enlargedscale; and Fig. 5 is a modified form of v the cutter disk.

The machine frame is composed of three circular heads 1, 2 and 3, the head 1 being the forward end of themachine frame; the head 2 at the rear thereof and the head 3 occupying an intermediate position. These heads are preferably thickened at their circumference, asbest shown in Fig. 4, where they are connected together by a series of rods 4 threadedinto them or otherwise afiixed. For further strengthening the.

frame of the machine the heads are connected together by diagonal bracing'bars 5 arranged in the shape of diamonds, as illustrated in Fig. 1, this construction affording a strong, rigid framecapable of withstanding severe strain. On the circumference of each head are Carried at equidistant points roller. or ball bearings 6 held in containers 7, with aportionof the ball protruding therefrom, adapting the frame to easy, rotary and longitudinal movement when'the machine is in operation. p

.1 ournaled in each of the heads is a series of circularlyarrangedshafts 8, theseries being concentric to the heads and carrying at their forward ends cutter-heads 9 to which they are secured in any convenient manner. The cutter-heads 9 in turn, are each provided with a Specification of Letters Patent;

Application filed October 17,1906. Serial No. 339,350.

i TUNNELINGJVfACHINE.

, Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

cutter-disk 10 having radially-arranged zigzag cuttingteeth on their front faces. These disks are preferably secured to the heads 9 by means of annular grooves in the latter into which flanges 11 on the back faces of the cutter disks project.

are two somewhat shorter shafts 8 provided with like cutting means on their forward ends and acting, when the machine is in operation, to remove that material These flanges are engagedby pins 11 as shown in Fig. or other well-known deinclosed by the outer ring of cutters; these latter cutters, as best shown in Fig. 2 are'of such diameter as to the bore cut. The bearings of all of the shafts in the heads 1, 2 and 3 are frictionless and are preferably each composed'of a series, of balls held in position by a recessed and flanged collar 12 secured in any suitable manner at each side of the head, this construction adapting the shafts to easily slide and rotate when in operation. i

Surrounding the shafts Sand 8 are spiral springs 13 interposed between the bearings of the head 3 and colproject beyond the frame a sufficient distance to admit of the ball-bearings carried by the heads. to pass into.

lars 14 secured to thein near the head 1, said springs 'norinallyforcing the shafts in a forwardly direction.

These shafts are further surrounded by somewhatshorter springs 15 arranged adjacent to the inner face of the head 1 and provided with sleeves 16, which. in connection with the springs 15; form buffers opposed to the collars 14.

, Journaled in the ceriter of the heads 1, 2 and 3 in similar bearings as provided for the shafts 8 and 8 is a hollow shaft having fixed at its'forward end a waterh ead 18 constructed with a series of openings on its circumference for directing and distributing water to each of the cutters. This shaft hasnlso fixed to it between the heads 2 and 3, a large cam 19 and a some .what smaller caniZO, the cam 19 having a double inclined upper face for contacting with tappets 21 fixed to the shafts 8, and the cam 20 having a single inclined face for contacting withtappets 21" fixed to the shafts 8. It is apparent from this construction that as the' hollow-shaft 17 revolves, the cams 19 and 20 retract the shafts 8 and 8, respectively. against thetensionof the springs 13, drawing the cutters gradually to an inward position and permitting them to be forcibly thrust forward by the springs 13 the tappets pass over the abrupt portions of the cams. The cutters are released from over-stroke by the buffers composed of the springs 15 and sleeves 1b, which act as a cushion on the front head 1. I

For positively rotating the central shaft 17- and also the machine frame, is provided adjacent to the head 2, a frame 22 on which is journaled a driving shaft 23, having a gear 24 fixed to its inner end, in mesh with a gear 25'fixed to the shait 17h The shaft 17 has also fixed to it near the gear 25, 'a somewhat smaller gear 25, in mesh with a gear 26 journaled on a stud 27 proj jecting from the head 2 The gear 26 meshes with an internal gear 28 concentrically and rigidly attached as by cars 29, to the outer face of the head 2.

, In Fig. is shown a modified form of cutter disk 1 0 in all respects like the disk l0, but having in its periphery a series ofangular notches -ll which actas cations on each revolution of the, machine frame.

reamer edges, giving the bore a smooth surface and preventing it from .becoming'too small as the cutter wears. V v When the machine is in operation, the hollow shaft 19 is connected up with a water" supply and the shaft 23 is driven from any suitable source of power. This causes the machine frame to rexfolve, as also the several cutters carried by it due to the frictional contact'of the tappets with their respective cams, said cams as.

'hereijnbefore stated, acting to also draw the cutters rearwardly which are thereafter thrust forward by the springs 13.J\S the cutters revolve and reciprocate, a stream. of water from each of the apertures in'the distributing head 18 plays upon them, eliminating the dust of the borings and discharging the muck to the rear of themachine without the need of other mechanism.

I have shown and described the cam 19 as having a double inclined face and two abrupt portions, thereby giving the outer ring'of cutters two complete recipro- It is, however, evident that this portion of the construction, as well. as other parts of themachine, might be infinitely varied without departing from the spirit of my invention; and I consider that I am entitled to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims. e

Having thus described my invention I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a tunneling machine, ih combination; a rotary frame, critters journaled in said frame, meansior rotating the cutters and means for automatically reciprocating said cutters as they rotate.

2. In a tunneling-machine, in combination, a rotary frame, a critter journaled in said frame, means for rotatingthe cutter means for gradually retracting said cutter, and means for suddenly thrusting it forward.

3. In a tunneling machine, in combination, arotary frame composed. of a plurality of heads having friction-' less hearings on,their peripheries means for,rigidly conmeeting the heads of the frame together, a plurality of cutters journaled in the heads, and means for rotatingand reciprocating thecutters.

4. In a tunneling machine, in combination, a /rotary frame, a cutter journaled in said frame, means for rotating the cutter Ineans'for gradually-retracting said cutter, means for suddenly thrusting the cutter forward, and hill-ling means for relieving the cutter of over-stroke.

. o. In a tunneling machine, incombination, a rotary frame, a cutter journaled in the frame, means for reciprocating the cutter as the frame is rotated, and means for reciprocating sets of shafts.

7. In a tunneling machine, a rotary frame composed of a plurality of circular heads, a series of rods.connecting the heads together, and diagonally-arranged bars connect- 'ing the heads together between the rods. i

8. In a tunneling machi ne,.a frame composed of a series of circular heads spaced apart and connected together by rods, diagonal bars arranged between the rods-connecting the heads together, and frictionless bearings carried on the peripheries of the heads.

9. In a tunneling machine,'in combination, a. frame composed'of a plurality. of heads rigidly connected'together, means for rotating the frame, a plurality of shafts journaled in the heads, each having a cutter head attached to the forward end thereof, a hollow shaft journaled in. the center of the heads, means carried by the hollow shaft for directing a stream of water upon each cutter head meanS foirotating the hollow shaft, and means for causing the cutter head shafts to reciprocate as said hollow-shaft is rotated. v

10. In a tunneling machine, in combination, a rotary frame, a series of shafts circularly arranged journaled in the frame, a second set of shafts journaled in the frame inter-mediate the first set, cutting. means carried by said' shaft, and means carried by said hollow shaft for directing astream of water to each cutter.

.11. In a tunneling machine, a frame, and 9;. series of cutters journaled in the frame comprising cutter heads having cutter disks secured thereto provided with radiallyarranged zigzag cutting teeth.

. 12. In a tunneling machine, a frame, a plurality of out ters jour'naled in the frame comprising cutter heads having annularly grooved faces and cutter disks provided with flanges on their rear fnces'fitting in said grooves, and radially-extending zigzag cutting teeth on their frontfaces.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' x 1 RUSSEL BIGALOW SIGAFOOS. Witnesses:

RICHARD Locnnr, Mosns Moimrs. t 1; 

